Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once said, “Working out anchors my day.” If one of the hardest working and most successful men in the entertainment industry can find the time to get his sweat on, we should all work towards this as well. After all, according to an NHS study, people who perform regular physical activity enjoy a wide variety of health benefits, with the main one being a 30% lower risk of early death. Everyone knows that physical exercise is good for them, but amidst a global pandemic, local laws may prevent people from going to the gym or attending a fitness class. Luckily, virtual fitness now provides other ways to work out in place of or in addition to going to the gym. So what are some of the benefits of putting your attention towards a scheduled home workout routine? Turns out, four big ones!
General Health Benefits
We know that exercise has many general health benefits but let’s get specific. In addition to lowering the risk of premature death, exercising can also elevate mood, improve sleep quality, and boost energy, while reducing your risk of developing stress, depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Focusing on the most common health conditions in the US, consistent physical activity also provides:
- Up to a 35% decreased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
- Up to a 50% decreased risk of type 2 diabetes
- Up to a 50% decreased risk of colon cancer
- Up to a 20% decreased risk of breast cancer
Time Flexibility
Implementing a scheduled home workout routine allows you to not only save time but have more flexibility as well. The time you save commuting, preparing yourself for class or a workout, and potentially changing in the locker room can be spent exercising - it’s just more efficient! While it would be ideal to workout at the same time every day to maintain a routine, our lives are just as busy while working from home and keeping your household functioning. Scheduled home workouts allow you to work out whenever you want for as long as you want - so enjoy the ability to begin your workout 30 minutes early and cut it short or extend it depending on your obligations or how you’re feeling that day!
Personal Freedom
The pandemic has taught us a lot. One of which is that we have the freedom to try new and different workout routines, of various lengths, exercises, and exertion levels. You can try workouts that you’ve never done before without worrying about how it looks or how skilled you are at performing the motions initially. Add in the fact that you are working out in your space which means it’s your rules, your comfort zone, and all the equipment is yours to do with it what you please, it’s easy to see how liberating a home workout can be.
Safety and Compliance with the Law
Depending on where you live, the gyms or fitness studios in your area might not be open for business so scheduled home workouts provide you with a way to maintain your fitness no matter what. But even if they are open, you might not be ready to return because you’re still feeling uneasy about the transmission of COVID-19.Scheduled home workouts allow you the peace of mind you need but also keep you on track with your fitness goals, and maybe over time you can supplement your at home routine with some in-person workouts!
You’ve likely made big lifestyle adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many people are turning to home workouts for their daily dose of exercise either instead of, or in addition to, going to in-person workouts. The crucial part is getting enough physical activity during a time when people are staying home significantly more- we have to be deliberate in working out now and workouts are a convenient, flexible way to achieve this.
